


In the Heights

by MsAtomicBomb



Category: Da Vinci's Demons
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, One Shot, commission, inventions, leo invents bungee jumping i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 14:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17204798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsAtomicBomb/pseuds/MsAtomicBomb
Summary: Leonardo forces Riario to try out his new flying invention???





	In the Heights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kana_Go](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kana_Go/gifts).



> So this is a commission piece for KanaGo on DeviantArt

As on any passing Monday, Leonardo was hard at work, designing the next big thing. He was always filled with ambition and hope (even after the many failed inventions he had created). Today, in fact, he was elated and it was not much help that he would be seeing a friend of his, well, at least Leonardo deemed Riario his friend, even if Riario was cold and stoic most of the time.

 

The sun shun through the small round window of his office, lighting the dust particles and making them nearly look like snow. With a big smile on his face, Leonardo finalized the finishing touches on his latest work. Leaving painting aside, he had focused all his attention on his self proclaimed ‘world-changing’ invention. He hadn’t left his study in about five days and it was a wonder how none of his friends had tried to pull him out by force.

 

The prompt knock on the door caught him off-guard but he dusted off and hurried towards it. Without even so much as hesitating, Leonardo pried the door open and grinned. “There you are Riario, I’d been waiting patiently for a while now, well, since I got your letter this morning.”

 

“Leonardo,” Riario hesitated before he took a step inside the workshop, an evident look of disgust clouding his handsome features, “why did you summon me to this...?” he frowned, refraining from saying something rude.

 

Riario was right, Leonardo’s workshop smelled of sweat and dirt, there were papers scattered about all over and tools messily thrown. Pieces of wood and fabric littered the floor while the light that came in through the window wasn’t enough to light the entire room for it was dirty and had muck all over it.

 

“Why, oh, why do you live in such a beautiful city such as Florence and keep this workshop as if a disaster swept in through the room? I ask myself this question everyday.”

 

“Riario, you are such a funny character,” Leonardo laughed, slapping his shoulder. “Now, unto real business! I wonder, Riario, have you ever wished to be a bird?”

 

“That is frankly one of the stupidest questions I’ve ever heard, Da Vinci,” he crossed his arms over his chest and analyzed the room for a second longer before shooting his gaze towards Leonardo. Glancing him over, Riario later looked past him. “To answer your question,  _ no _ , I have  _ never  _ wanted to be a bird.”

 

“Well, dream no more, dear friend!” Leonardo ignored Riario’s remark and stepped aside, revealing a contraption of sorts. It was some sort of flying machine, or at least that’s what Riario assumed it to be. It was huge and it had two big wings and two small wings at what appeared to be the feet, or maybe something that resembled a bird’s tail. 

 

“I never did,” Riario muttered, “and we are  _ not  _ friends.”

 

“I introduce you to the never before seen, new and improved; human wings!” Leonardo announced as if he were in a circus and soon began clapping. “And I summoned you here because you will have the special honours to be the first to try it.”

 

“ _ Oh god _ ,” Riario groaned, “not this again. This is exactly what I feared. The answer is no,  _ God _ ,  _ Leonardo _ , are you out of your mind? A flying machine,  _ again _ ? You expect me to try that out? That bloody thing will have me killed before I even take off. I swear everything you make is a murder weapon!”

 

“What?” Leonardo scoffed, “ _ no _ ! Everything I make is genius; all of you just have such a...small, tiny mind while I,  _ I  _ think in the future!”

 

Riario rolled his eyes before turning on his heel. “When you summoned me you said it was of importance, I should have guessed.”

 

Before he could leave, however, Leonardo stopped him, taking him by the arm. “Riario, my friend,” he chuckled, “I can assure you that it is a hundred percent safe.”

 

“ _ Safe _ ?” Riario scoffed, “Oh please, I would have probably believed you if you said you were possessed by the spirit of Julius Caesar as opposed to that  _ thing  _ being safe. I would say that jumping off St. Paul’s Cathedral is much safer than such a contraption. There is no way on earth that I will ever get on that thing, not even if you kill me over it.”

 

“Ugh, Riario, you are ever so dramatic, how could you be so...dense?”

 

“Well, I will take my leave now then, since all you are doing is criticizing me.” Fixing his coat and dusting himself off, he shook off Leonardo’s hand from his arm and ran a hand through his hair. “Seeing that I have no further business here, good bye.”

 

“Why, oh, why are you so unentertaining? Honestly, how boring you are! Will you ever find a woman willing to put up with you.”

 

Riario stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath. He thought about replying, about a witty remark, but it wasn’t worth it. He decided to keep silent, Leonardo wasn’t worth fussing over.

 

“Riario, I know you aren’t just the Pope’s  _ dog _ , I know you like to have fun once in a while and what would be better than doing it while helping out a friend? I mean, what’s life without a bit of excitement?”

 

“Do not test me, Leonardo, you know very well how I am when I’m annoyed.”

 

“Well, better to be annoyed than to be a coward,  _ right _ ?”

 

“ _ Coward _ ?” Riario didn’t even blink before turning back towards Leonardo. “You are the coward, not me. If you want someone to be a test subject, shouldn’t you be the first one to try it before anyone else? I am no coward, artista, and I beg, do not test me once more.”

 

“Or what? Are you going to kill me?”

 

“That I will.” Riario landed a hand on the pommel of his sword and gave him a glare. “If you so need me, refrain from summoning me.”

 

“Then I shall find you.”

 

A grunt came from Riario’s lips as he brought a hand up to cover his eyes in annoyance, “You never understand, do you?”

 

“Riario, you need to relax; you need to start letting go of things. Why do you always find the need to stress yourself? I say spread your wings and fly. One of these days you have to overcome that fear of heights.”

 

“And who told you that I was afraid of heights?” Riario glared at Leonardo, “I’ll have you know that I am not afraid.”

 

“ _ Perfect _ ! Come on then, you’ll be the first to try it. We need to take this to  _ Il Duomo _ .” 

 

There was a small struggle but Leonardo managed to convince Riario to help him take the apparatus all the way to the tower of the Cathedral of Florence, of course at the expense of Riario’s pure vexation over Leonardo and the contraption.

 

“Da Vinci, if I am to die, I will make sure that you are beheaded in front of all of Florence.”

 

“Is that in your will?”

 

Riario shot him an even look as they climbed the stairs, angling the invention so it would properly fit. “Why did I even let you convince me to this? This is insane.”

 

Leonardo grinned, delight painting his face and triumph and pride sparkling ever so slightly in his eyes. “People like me have to be just a bit insane to come up with things like these, it’s the only way the world progresses.”

 

“Yes,” Riario mumbled to himself, “you are beyond insane.” He then looked back up at Leonardo, “And what will I be getting out of this?”

 

“Well, what’s better than glory and fame? Imagine, being the first ever human to have wings, how fascinating!”

 

“I’d rather die…”

 

They managed to make it to the top of the tower and position the Human Wings properly and ready for departure. But before Leonardo could even begin to strap Riario inside a guard caught them, opening the door to the top of the tower and pulling his sword from the scabbard.

 

“ _ Oh god _ ,” Riario grunted, “I thought you said you thought this through, Leonardo.”

 

“I did,” he shrugged.

 

“What are you two doing here? It is forbidden to come to the bell tower unless you are clergy.”

 

Leonardo continued, “I didn’t count on guards coming...I’ve never seen them before.”

 

“Wait, you’ve been here before?”

 

Leonardo nodded.

 

“In name of the Medici family, you are under arrest!” The guard called and took a few steps towards them. Leonardo pulled the sword from Riario’s belt and crouched slightly.

 

“I am Girolamo Riario,” Riario stood straight and pulled out a paper from his jacket, which Leonardo recognized to be the letter he sent him, “I have permission to be here by the Pope himself,” he fluttered the paper about quickly, not letting the guard truly read it or see it as he approached him with clear, calculated steps. “There has been quite a bit of sponsorship for young artists and inventors as of late, therefore, I was told to help this young man here with an invention of his. Alas, this is the tallest building in Florence thus far and we need to test the invention. If it so works properly the Medici’s and the Pope would be ever so grateful.”

 

The guard looked at him, taking in his formal and frankly clean appearance before flickering his gaze towards Leonardo’s dishevelled self. He slightly gave a bow towards Riario as he had heard rumours and tales of him.

 

“If you will so excuse us, we have business to tend to.” With Riario’s last remark, the soldier gave a slow nod and left without so much as another word.

 

Leonardo chuckled, handing the sword back to Riario. “And this is why you get yourself a rich friend. Tell me, is it true I am being sponsored?”

 

“It was nothing more than a cover story, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

 

And so began the strapping, and once Riario was all strapped up, they noticed a crowd of people rounding at the foot of the tower, looking up at them and calling out to them.

 

“Would you look at that, Riario? You’ve got yourself a crowd!” Leonardo smiled, helping him to the edge of the railing.

 

“ _ Great _ , more people to witness such a failure.”

 

“Oh, don’t be so glum, it will fly smoothly. Now, you jump when I say so, I will be counting from ten!” Leonardo looked down at the crowd, smile widening as more people joined. “Ten...nine...eight…”

 

“Are you certain this is safe?” Riario looked down, his vision tunneling and making him feel as if he was much higher than he actually was. He wasn’t afraid of heights perse, but he did feel he was about to plummet to his death.

 

“Safer than a baby’s crib. And don’t look down!” Leonardo advised but it was already too late, Riario couldn’t take his eyes off from the ground. “Five...four…”

 

“Wait, how am I supposed to land th— _ ah _ !” Leonardo pushed him on three.

 

A string of curse words fell from Riario’s mouth as he plummeted down in a straight path, face first, the way a paper plane would glide when one strikes it down. The wind in his face barely let him breathe and his gut felt as if it were about to jump out from his throat. He shut his eyes tightly as he saw the ground fastly approaching, people scattering away from him and preparing for the crash. Everything was a blur, the people, the world, his feelings.

 

Instead of hitting the ground, he felt a hard tug, his head whipping forwards and his chin hitting his chest as he swung in the air, about nine feet off the ground before hitting the tower with his back. 

 

Confusion flooded his mind and he looked up, the pain in his neck telling him not to move. From the flying machine, he noticed a rope that led all the way to the top of the tower. He groaned, letting his face fall once more. 

 

“ _ Leonardo Da Vinci _ ! Get me the fuck down!” He yelled as the crowd began to form once more, this time a smile on their faces and laughs erupting and Riario vowed never again to help Leonardo with any of his inventions.


End file.
